By Toni Ford
What comes to mind when you think of the word “freedom?” I think of “minimal stress,” “relaxed,” “not confined.” Webster Dictionary defines “freedom” as “the quality or state of being free, the absence of necessity or constraint in choice or action, released from something.” Freedom is available to everyone, but not everyone knows how to achieve freedom, or better yet, how to maintain a life of freedom. Believers will often pray and ask the Lord for freedom in certain areas of their lives, but before they can blink, they realize they are right back to where they started, much like a hamster on a wheel going nowhere.
John 8:32 (Passion Translation) says, “For if you embrace the truth, it will release more freedom into your lives.” It is the Lord’s desire that we all live in freedom, not just one day but each and every day. However, our responsibility is to embrace and live out the truths He has given us. Psalm 119:45 explains it beautifully: “I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.” Here are four of those commandments, and if we practice these daily, they will release more freedom in our lives.
Stay in prayer. Prayer is talking to your heavenly Father throughout the day, taking things to Him and letting Him be your source before others. Philippians 4: 6-7 (NLT) says, “Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Prayer is to your spiritual life what breathing is to your physical life.
Stay in the Word. It is through His Word that God reveals to us His heart, directs us and speaks to our life situations. Hebrews 4:12 (Passion) says, “For we have the living Word of God, which is full of energy, and it pierces more sharply than a two-edged sword. It will even penetrate to the very core of our being where soul and spirit, bone and marrow meet. It interprets and reveals the true thoughts and secret motives of our hearts.” The Word of God powerfully works in us to sustain our freedom in Christ. It discerns and exposes lies so that we can make decisions for our lives that help us live in freedom.
Stay in worship. Psalm 86:9-10 (NLT) says, “All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord. They will praise your holy name. For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God.” Worship makes the large issues in our lives look small in comparison to Him. Worship is taking our eyes off of the world and placing them on our awesome and magnificent God!
Stay in fellowship. We are meant to be in relationships with people who we sharpen and who sharpen us. People cannot sharpen us if they do not know what is happening in our lives. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
Dear Jesus, thank you for your love for me and thank you that you long for me to live in freedom. I pray that you would help me be obedient to live out the truths that you have given me. Help me to stay in prayer in Your Word, in worship, and in fellowship with others that point me to You. I surrender afresh to You, today! Thank you for Your faithfulness to me!
If you would like me to join you in prayer, please e-mail me at tonif77@gmail.com. I would love to pray for you!